Verbs, verb tenses, imperatives

b When I got home, I found that Jill had been painting her room

When I got home, I found that Jill had painted her room In the first example, the activity was uncompleted then. In the second example, the job was definitely finished then.

The simple future tense

9.35 Form of the simple future tense

The simple future is formed with will [but > 9.36] and the base form of the verb

9.36 N o t e s o n the form of the simple future tense

1 Shall and will Will is used with all persons, but shall can be used as an alternative with / and we in pure future reference [> 9.37.1] Shall is usually avoided with you and I: You and I will work in the same office

2 Contractions Shall weakens to / Jal/ in speech, but does not contract to 'II in writing Will contracts to '// in writing and in fluent, rapid speech after vowels (///, we'll, you'll, etc.) but 7/ can also occur after consonants. So we might find 'II used: e.g.

- after names: Tom'll be here soon

- after common nouns: The concert'!! start in a minute

- after question-words: When'll they arrive?

3 Negatives Will not contracts to // not or won t, shall not contracts to shan t: I/We won't or shan't go (I/We will not or shall not go) In AmE shan't is rare and shall with a future reference is unusual.

4 Future tense When we use will/shall for simple prediction, they combine with verbs to form tenses in the ordinary way [> 9.2, 11.7]: simple future: / will see future progressive: / will be seeing future perfect: / will have seen future perfect progressive: / will have been seeing

Uses of the 'will/shall' future